2: Walter Winchell was the man who legitimized gossip columns, tabloid news, and celebrity watching. He rose from a poor New York family to become one of the most read columnists, and eventually consulted with F.D.R. and Joe McCarthy. Writer NEAL GABLER has written a biography about Winchell. "Winchell: Gossip, Power, and the Culture of Celebrity" (Alfred A. Knopf Inc.) helps explain the man who was the source of our current celebrity-obsessed culture.
Copyright 1994 Fresh Air